by Jo Campbell, Media and Public Relations Coordinator

Don't be sucked in by frozen sugary drinks

While a frozen sugary drink can seem like a cheap way to cool down on a scorching day, these drinks are packed with sugar your body really doesn't need.

Cheap promos for slushies are everywhere over summer months but, if having one of those turns into a regular habit, you and your kids are basically slurping your way to weight gain, toxic fat and an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and dental decay.

Consider the motives of slushie promos - are you being sucked in to extra kilojoules, sugar and spending?

Australia loves sugary drinks

Australians consume 1.43 billion litres of sugary drinks annually and almost 1 in 2 Australian kids consume sugary drinks on any given day.

The World Health Organization recommends no more than 7 teaspoons of added sugar per day for best health but, as you’ll see below, many of the frozen drinks available over summer completely max that out.

Why are sugary drinks a problem?

They’re high in energy and added sugar – they provide no other nutritional value, meaning they’re basically junk food. It’s also easy to forget that drinks add towards your daily kilojoule intake, which means you can easily drink a lot of kilojoules without knowing it.

We’ve done some analysis to help you make a more informed decision on what you’re drinking this summer.

Our analysis

We analysed the sugar content of all frozen drinks currently on the market. If you consumed the worst offender for every day of summer you could potentially stack on more than 3 kilos and you’d consume a whopping 7 kilos of sugar, which is not a great way to end your summer hols.

The worst 4 brands

Top Offender: 7-Eleven

Their ‘Mega Strawberry Slurpee’ contains:

80.5 grams of sugar
That’s 20 teaspoons of sugar
Almost three times the daily added sugar limit recommended by the WHO

2nd Top Offender: McDonald’s

Their ‘Large Frozen Coke Spider’ contains:

59.95 grams of sugar
That’s 15 teaspoons of sugar
More than double the daily added sugar limit recommended by the WHO

3rd Top Offender: KFC

Their ‘Mountain Dew Energize Freeze’ (one size) contains:

52.8 grams of sugar
That’s 13 teaspoons of sugar
Almost double the daily added sugar limit recommended by the WHO

4th Top Offender: Hungry Jack’s

Their ‘Large Frozen Fanta Mango Spider’ contains:

47.2 grams of sugar
That’s 12 teaspoons of sugar
Almost double the daily added sugar limit recommended by the WHO

What’s the solution?

There’s definitely better ways to quench your thirst without risking your health – choose iced water instead (add some fruit for some sweetness) or teach your kids how to make a healthy slushie at home.

They’re easy to make and getting your family together in the kitchen is a great way to help your kids learn about good nutrition and, it’s fun.

All you need is some frozen fruit (like pineapple, mixed berries, mangoes or watermelon), a touch of juice and a squeeze of lime. You can freeze the fruit yourself, or buy it ready-frozen. For a variation, try adding a dash of light coconut milk, which will make you and the family feel like you're on a tropical holiday!

watermelon fizz citrus water

More info

For more delicious and colourful drink recipes visit our recipes page here. To find out how much sugar you consume from drinks, try our sugary drinks calculator.